Pakistan’s lax enforcement leading to millions of child brides

The passage of new legislation banning child marriage in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, was recently celebrated globally. But despite constitutional protections, child marriage still runs rampant across the country due to a lack of enforcement, exposing millions to exploitation, early pregnancies, domestic violence, and educational exclusion. 

More than policy, commitment is needed

The Constitution of Pakistan provides the legal basis for protecting children from marriage before 18. However, due to a mix of outdated laws, provincial variations, and opposition from religious conservatives, child marriage continues to plague many areas. To date, only Sindh and Islamabad have made efforts to enforce 18 as the minimum age to marry.  

Dawn reports Country Director of Save the Children, Khurram Gondal, said:  

“True change requires more than policies; it demands consistency, commitment, and the collective efforts of government, civil society, and local partners.” 

And sadly, it’s young girls who are paying the price for this gap between law and enforcement. According to UNICEF, there are over 19 million child brides in Pakistan. That means nearly 1 in 6 young women married before the age of 18. And as many as 4.8 million girls were married before the age of 15.  

Not just a project- a collective mission 

Pakistan’s constitutional framework to end child marriage is supported by the recent national legislation for the capital, as well as by international commitments. And Pakistan has a proud history of trailblazing women leaders like Fatima Jinnah and Benazir Bhutto. Retired Senator Javed Jabbar underlined that if these women had been married as children, they would “never have achieved such milestones.” 

Further, Jabbar said: 

“[ending child marriage is] a critical step toward empowering girls and safeguarding their future, we must not wait for foreign funding to drive such efforts; the resolve to protect our children must come from within.” 

Arifa Mazhar, Chief Executive of SFO a local advocacy organization, is urging supporters to move beyond a project-based approach toward a sustained, community-driven movement. Pakistan is far from alone in trying to tackle this issue and progress is being made. Bolivia recently became the latest country in Latin America and the Caribbean to approve a law setting the minimum age of marriage at 18, without exceptions.  

In both countries and in most cases of child marriage, it’s a young girl marrying an older, adult man. Research shows that age difference creates a power imbalance leaving the husband with more authority, both socially and economically. Thus, child wives are extremely vulnerable to various forms of exploitation and abuse, including domestic and sexual violence, early pregnancy, and femicide. 

A global problem  

Contrary to popular belief, child marriage is not just a problem in the Global South. Child marriage is a problem all over the world. In fact, it is still legal in 34 states in the US. Between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 children were married in the US. And the vast majority of those were girls married to adult men.  

That’s why Freedom United is trying to raise awareness about this issue. We’re hosting an in-person screening in New York City of Unmuted: Child Brides. We are committed to keep fighting the scourge of child marriage until it is illegal and enforced everywhere, no exceptions. Stand with us by attending the screening if you are in NYC, or signing our petition. Because every child deserves a life free from exploitation.